Check back soon to see when this will be rescheduled.

FALL RIVER, Mass. — Southcoast Hospitals Group will be hosting free public H1N1 flu vaccination clinics in Fall River and New Bedford. College students are urged to attend the two clinics being held at Bristol Community College's Fall River campus. The following are the times and locations:

• Saturday, February 6, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Durfee High School in Fall River Operation Haiti fundraiser presented by New England's Portuguese-American community.
  

• Thursday, February 11, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Coastline Elderly, 1646 Purchase Street, New Bedford, Mass.
  

• Friday, February 26, from 2 to 6 p.m. at Bristol Community College Fall River campus, G building, 777 Elsbree Street, Fall River, Mass.
  

• Friday, March 5, from 2 to 6 p.m. at Bristol Community College Fall River campus, G building, 777 Elsbree Street, Fall River, Mass.
  

The Southcoast H1N1 flu vaccination clinics are open to all community members throughout the South Coast region. Vaccinations will be administered on a first come, first served basis. Participants are asked to bring health insurance cards, but it is not required. Interpreter services will be available.

The clinics are open to all individuals, but Southcoast further recommends that the following high priority groups attend:

• Under the age of 25 year old.

• Children 6 months to 18 years of age (Must be accompanied by a Parent or Guardian).

• Children 9 years and under should receive two (2) doses of H1N1 vaccine.
  IMPORTANT: Any child who has received the first of their two doses MUST bring documentation of the first dose of vaccine to this clinic because U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention recommends a 28-day interval between doses for maximum effectiveness.

• High-risk patients between the ages of 19 to 64 years old. High-risk means that you may have a chronic medical conditions such as:

  • Respiratory (including asthma and COPD).

  • Heart disease (except high blood pressure alone).

  • Kidney, liver, blood disorders, neurologic/neuromuscular, or metabolic disorders such as diabetes.

  • Immunosuppression (including that induced by medications, illness or by HIV).

• Women who are pregnant, up to two weeks post partum (including after pregnancy loss) and have not yet received H1N1 vaccine from their obstetrician.

• Household member or caregiver of infants younger than 6 months of age.

• Household member of pregnant women in their third trimester to ensure their newborns go home to a safe environment.
  

Please check with your physician if you have questions or concerns about receiving the H1N1 flu vaccine. Questions about the clinics at St. Luke's and Tobey hospitals can be directed to 508-961-5560. Questions about the clinic at Charlton Memorial Hospital can be directed to 508-679-3131 Ext. 2988.

"Southcoast will be allowing siblings to visit on the maternity units at our three hospitals. This decision is based on data released by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health showing a decline in the number of flu-like illness in the state, and the fact that the current flu-like illness level is slightly below what is expected for this time of the year," said Marcia Liggin, RN, Chief Nursing Officer for Southcoast Hospitals Group.

Southcoast officials also recommend that the following people who are in contact with infants receive the H1N1 vaccine:

• Pregnant women.

• New mothers, fathers and guardians.

• Household contacts and caregivers of infants who are less than 6 months old.

• Children 6 months to 24 years.

Persons age 25 to 64 years who have medical conditions that put them at higher risk for influenza-related complications.

Southcoast Hospitals Group continues to monitor, plan and implement a regional response to the H1N1 (Swine) flu outbreak. A primary source of information is the hospital's Website: www.southcoast.org/flu/. Southcoast also sends out regular updates on Twitter and Facebook. Get connected at www.southcoast.org/connect/.

Episode #13: Voices from free public H1N1 flu clinic at St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford, Mass.

• Tuesday, January 12, from 5 to 8 p.m. at St. Luke's Hospital, White Home building (adjacent to ER entrance), 101 Page Street, New Bedford, Mass.
  

• Wednesday, January 13, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Charlton Memorial Hospital, Mooney Conference Room, 363 Highland Avenue, Fall River. The entrance to the clinic and parking are located at the back of the hospital off Prospect Street.
  

• Thursday, January 14, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Tobey Hospital, main lobby entrance, 43 High Street, Wareham.
  

The Southcoast H1N1 flu vaccination clinics are open to all community members throughout the South Coast region. Vaccinations will be administered on a first come, first served basis. Participants are asked to bring health insurance cards, but it is not required. Interpreter services will be available.

The clinics are open to all individuals, but Southcoast further recommends the following high-priority groups attend:

• Under the age of 25 year old.
  

• Children 6 months to 18 years of age (Must be accompanied by a Parent or Guardian)
  

• Children 9 years and under should receive 2 doses of H1N1 vaccine
  IMPORTANT: Any child who has received the first of their two doses MUST bring documentation of the first dose of vaccine to this clinic because Center for Disease Control recommends a 28 day interval between doses for maximum effectiveness.
  

• High risk patients between the ages of 19 to 64 years old. High risk means that you may have a chronic medical conditions such as:

  • Respiratory (including asthma and COPD)

  • Heart disease (except high blood pressure alone)

  • Kidney, liver, blood disorders, neurologic/neuromuscular, or metabolic disorders such as diabetes

  • Immunosuppression (incl. that induced by medications, illness or by HIV )

• Women who are pregnant, up to 2 weeks post partum (including after pregnancy loss) and have not yet received H1N1 vaccine from their obstetrician.
  

• Household member or caregiver of infants younger than 6 months of age.
  

• Household member of pregnant women in their third trimester to ensure their newborns go home to a safe environment.
  

Please check with your physician if you have questions or concerns about receiving the H1N1 flu vaccine. Questions about the clinics at St. Luke’s and Tobey hospitals can be directed to 508-961-5560. Questions about the clinic at Charlton Memorial Hospital can be directed to 508-679-3131 Ext. 2988.

Four lots of Sanofi Pasteur H1N1 pediatric vaccines in pre-filled syringes for children ages six to 35 months, were found to have a lower than required potency level.

The CDC and the FDA issued a voluntary recall identifying the specific lot numbers and stating the following about the recall:

• There are no safety concerns or harmful effects for children who were vaccinated.
  
• There is no need to re-vaccinate children who received the shot from this lot.
  
• The recalled vaccine poses no harmful effects, just a potential for a reduction in the anticipated immune response.
  
• Children nine years old and younger who have only received one dose of the H1N1 vaccine still need to receive a second dose of 2009 H1N1 vaccine approximately one month after the first vaccination.
  

Episode #12: This week Robert Motha, RPh, Director of Pharmacy, talks about flu shot recommendations and the reasons for short supplies of the H1N1 vaccine.

This will be the last Flu Facts podcast of 2009. We will return in early 2010.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention has received numerous reports of fraudulent e-mails (phishing) referencing a CDC-sponsored "State Vaccination Program."

The messages request that users must create a personal H1N1 (Swine) Flu Vaccination Profiles on the CDC's Website. The message then states that anyone that has reached the age of 18 has to have his/her personal Vaccination Profile on the CDC site.

The CDC has NOT implemented a state vaccination program requiring registration on its Website. Users that click on the e-mail are at risk of having malicious code installed on their computers.

CDC reminds users to take the following steps to reduce the risk of being a victim of a phishing attack:

• Do not follow unsolicited links and do not open or respond to unsolicited e-mail messages.
  
• Use caution when visiting un-trusted Websites.
  
• Use caution when entering personal information online.
  

Episode #11: This week Dr. McMahon addresses issues related to pregnant women and new mothers.

Episode #10: This week Dr. McMahon returns to address people's anxiety about getting vaccinated for H1N1 and outlines how patients are being prioritized to receive the vaccine.

Episode #9: This week Robert Motha, RPh, Director of Pharmacy, talks about the availability and distribution the H1N1 vaccine.

With the exception of the live attenuated influenza vaccines (nasal sprays), you can in most cases.

We can administer:

• Both the inactivated seasonal and the inactivated H1N1 influenza vaccines at the same visit (using separate syringes and sites) or at any time before or after each other.
  
• The inactivated seasonal and live H1N1 influenza vaccines together or at any time before or after each other.
  
• The live seasonal and inactivated H1N1 influenza vaccines together or at any time before or after each other.
  

Administering both the live attenuated seasonal and the live attenuated H1N1 influenza vaccines at the same visit is NOT recommended because of concerns about competition between vaccine viruses. If you have only live vaccines for both seasonal and H1N1 influenza available, you should separate the doses of the two live vaccines by at least 4 weeks.

Vaccine will come in multiple formulations, some of which will be multi-dose vials and contain thimerosal. It is so low that it should not be a concern. Overwhelming evidence, including an Institute of Medicine review, indicates that thimerosal has not been associated with any adverse effects. The type of flu vaccine that is sprayed into your nose (nasal spray) does not contain thimerosal or other preservatives.

• Institute of Medicine Report: Immunization Safety Review: Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  

The podcast features Eugene McMahon, MD, Chief Medical Officer for Southcoast Hospitals Group.

Episode #7:

This week we answer your questions:

• Why is there so much hype about H1N1 than there is about the seasonal flu?

• What can businesses do to protect themselves, employees and customers from the H1N1 flu?

The Southcoast Hospitals Group said it asked for 117,000 doses and has only received 5,000.

“(It’s) much slower than we expected and the state and hospitals in Massachusetts share the same frustration that the pipeline has been slow,“ said Patrick Gannon, vice president of the Southcoast Hospitals Group. “We expected to have many more doses by this time than what we’ve received so far.“

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported sending out 660,000 doses so far, enough to vaccinate 10 percent of the population. It also said it expected to be further along at this point based on what it was told by the federal government.

The doses going out now are prioritized for pregnant women, children and high-risk patients.

In the meantime, flu worries are filling local emergency rooms.
“We’ve seen an increase of visitors in the emergency room with flu-like symptoms,“ said Marcia Liggin, chief nursing officer at Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River.

Southcoast Hospitals is reporting heavier traffic at all of its hospitals. It said it’s mostly patients with mild symptoms who don’t need to be admitted.
Doctors at Charlton said they haven’t seen any serious H1N1 cases yet.

“If people have mild illness, and they have no underlying medical conditions, they may not need to seek medical treatment. They need to be at home, they need to follow normal guidelines for treating the flu—rest, fluids and something to bring the fever down,“ Gannon said.

Experts told NBC 10 that it’s very important that if symptoms worsen or get better then worse, to get help immediately.

At Southcoast Hospitals, it has implemented precautions recently barring any children under 18 from visiting the pediatric or maternity units.

Jen Cabral became a new mother over the weekend. She said she didn’t mind that some of her relatives couldn’t bring their kids to visit.

“I like the policy because I wouldn’t want someone to be around my child that was sick,“ Cabral said.

The podcast features Eugene McMahon, MD, Chief Medical Officer for Southcoast Hospitals Group.

Episode #6:

This week we answer your questions:

• Are there any "cons" to getting the shot or other health concerns with it?

• Does the flu vaccine give you temporary immunity or do you get a lifetime immunity?

• What about Thiomersal? I understand that is mercury and in the vaccine.

• If I've already had the H1N1 flu, can I catch it again?
  

He spoke with ABC6 News Anchor Andrew Gobeil about H1N1 testing.

"Rapid testing for influenza is not recommended for screening of H1N1 at this time," said E.J. McMahon, MD, MBA, FCAP, Senior Vice President & Chief Medical Officer for Southcoast Hospitals Group.

"Rapid tests can have low sensitivity for H1N1 flu," Dr. McMahon said. "These tests should not be used to rule out the presence of H1N1. If a rapid test is positive for influenza A, the patient can be presumed to have H1N1. In a number of cases, if a rapid test is negative, the patient may still have H1N1. Health care providers are advised to manage and monitor symptoms rather than rely on a test that may not be accurate."

According to Massachusetts DPH: "Decisions regarding treatment, selection of antiviral agents and isolation should be based on clinical factors, and should not be contingent on laboratory confirmation."

Southcoast's policy states that if there are compelling clinical or public health concerns, rapid testing will be used. This decision will be made by the individual health care providers.

On the public health level, early testing for purposes of surveillance provides a useful picture of how the virus is spreading. On the hospital and community level, whether it is H1N1 (Swine) flu or seasonal flu, the treatment would be the same.

"H1N1 flu is treated the same as seasonal flu — there is no benefit in knowing whether it is H1N1 flu or not," Dr. McMahon said. "What patients do need to know is that this virus can be very serious, so it is important to monitor you or your child's symptoms, practice good hygiene and hand washing. Also note that special populations, such as, pregnant women, people ages 6 months to 24 years old, all people with chronic illness, asthma or diabetes, should receive the vaccine when it is available."

Dr. McMahon also explained that the seasonal flu is not currently circulating in our region. If a person has flu-like symptoms, it is most likely H1N1 (Swine) flu, he said.

For more information on flu prevention and facts visit www.southcoast.org/flu/. You can also receive weekly tips from Southcoast and Dr. McMahon in a weekly video podcast available on Southcoast's flu Website or through iTunes.

The podcast features Eugene McMahon, MD, Chief Medical Officer for Southcoast Hospitals Group.

Episode #5:
* Why is there so much concern over H1N1?
* Who should be first in line for the H1N1 vaccine?
* Is the nasal spray or injection more effective?
* How many vaccinations will I need?

Subscribe to our weekly video podcast, "Flu Facts: Spread the message, not the flu," through iTunes.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — Southcoast Hospitals Group has updated its visitors policy to limit visitor access to maternity and pediatric units to protect the patients most at-risk for H1N1 (Swine) flu and seasonal flu. The policy applies to Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford and Tobey Hospital in Wareham.

"Southcoast Hospitals is asking the public to avoid visits to friends and family in the hospital if they have cold or flu symptoms," said Patrick Gannon, RPh, Vice President of Quality & Safety for Southcoast Hospitals Group. "As of Monday, October 26, we are limiting visitors to the maternity and pediatric units at our three hospitals to only those over the age of 18 years old, including siblings. Children who are sick at any time of the year should never come to the hospital to visit a patient."

Maternity and Pediatric Unit visitor policy

Southcoast has maternity units at all three hospital sites and pediatric units at St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford and Tobey Hospital in Wareham. For the safety of all of the infants and children receiving care at the hospital, their parents and guardians and hospital staff, no visitors will be allowed under the age of 18, including siblings, effective Monday, October 26.

"It is always important to protect against the flu, but this year the added threat of H1N1 (Swine) flu makes it even more important that we all do our part to protect ourselves and our community," said Marcia Liggin, RN, Chief Nursing Officer for Southcoast Hospitals Group. "The decision to limit visitors to the maternity and pediatric units is an industry-wide practice that is based on recommendations of federal health officials."

In addition, no visitors with cold or flu symptoms will be allowed. Liggin said the policy will continue to be reviewed as the flu season progresses.

"We understand this may be a disappointment to our parents, but H1N1 poses a serious health risk to infants and children in our care and our staff members," said Janine Fontaine, RN, Director of Women's Health for Southcoast Hospitals Group. "Infants are thought to be at higher risk for severe illness from H1N1 and little is known about the prevention of H1N1 flu infections in infants. It is our responsibility to be proactive in keeping them safe."

Fontaine also said that because the babies do not yet have their own immunity and are not able to receive protection against the flu virus through vaccination, public health officials recommend that the following people who are in contact with infants receive the H1N1 vaccine:

• Pregnant women.

• New mothers, fathers and guardians.

• Household contacts and caregivers of infants who are less than 6 months old.

• Children 6 months to 24 years.

• Persons age 25 to 64 years who have medical conditions that put them at higher risk for influenza-related complications.

General Visitor Policy

Surgical masks, antibacterial hand sanitizer, tissues and general information in multiple languages on the flu are available at all of the hospital's main lobby entrances and Emergency Department entrances.

Patients and people entering the hospital with cold or flu symptoms are asked to wear surgical masks that will be provided by hospital staff. The hospital also requests patients to practice safe hygiene by washing hands and/or using the antibacterial dispensers located throughout public areas and patient floors.

Visitors who are in the hospital for non-critical situations and who have obvious cold or flu symptoms may be given a mask and asked to leave the hospital for the safety of our patients and employees.

E-Mail a Patient

Another option for people who want to stay in touch with a loved one or friend who is a patient at Southcoast Hospitals is the "E-Mail a Patient" program. By clicking on the "E-Mail a Patient" link, anyone can create a private message and have it delivered to a patient Monday through Friday. Every effort is made to deliver the message the same day it is sent.

"E-mail is a great option for keeping in touch with a loved one in the hospital — especially during cold and flu season," Liggin said.
To send an e-mail to a patient, go to www.southcoast.org/email/, select the hospital site and complete the simple form.

Southcoast Hospitals Group continues to monitor, plan and implement a regional response to the H1N1 (Swine) flu outbreak — including a Website, weekly video podcast and flu clinic information — to keep people informed of the latest developments.

A primary source of information and crucial link to local health facts is the hospitals' Website: www.southcoast.org/flu/. The latest recommendations, updates and guidance from federal and state health experts is compiled in one convenient location along with additional local resources.

A weekly video podcast, "Flu Facts: Share the message, not the flu," is available on Southcoast's Website or through iTunes.

Southcoast also sends out regular updates on Twitter and Facebook. Get connected at www.southcoast.org/connect/.

View the slides from the presentation below or at this link.

If you are pregnant, use the following five tips to prepare for the upcoming flu season.

http://www.southcoast.org/flu/pregnant.html

This Week's Developments:

First, a brief programming note: the Weekly Flu Report that usually appears in this space on Thursdays is slightly delayed this week, and will be posted here tomorrow. In the meantime, we wanted to take a few minutes to talk about how seasonal and H1N1 vaccines make their way from vaccine manufacturers into the community.  

There are five major vaccine manufacturers who are producing flu vaccine this year. They are producing vaccines for both Seasonal and H1N1 flu, in the same time period.  This has never been done before, and there have been some interruptions in the supply chain as a result. Nonetheless, these manufacturers are working day and night to produce and ship the H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines in ever-increasing quantities to communities across the state and country.

All vaccine supplies are shipped directly from the manufacturer to the community-level provider, such as physician's offices, hospitals, community health centers, pharmacies, and local public health departments. There are a couple ways to monitor when vaccine is available in your community:

• Visit http://flu.masspro.org, to find out if there are any public flu clinics planned for your area, including vaccination clinics at supermarkets and chain pharmacies such as CVS, Walgreen's or Rite Aid.
  

• Keep in close contact with your health care provider to stay updated on when they expect to receive vaccine supplies from the manufacturer, and to schedule an office visit to get vaccinated when they do.

Getting vaccinated is a great way to keep from getting sick – but there are also other vitally important ways we can keep from getting or spreading the flu, including frequent hand washing with soap and warm water, or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer; covering our cough and sneeze with a disposable tissue or our inner elbow if a tissue isn't handy; and staying home from work or school if we're sick.

http://www.southcoast.org/flu/index.html

The podcast features Eugene McMahon, MD, Chief Medical Officer for Southcoast Hospitals Group.

Episode #3:
* Why should I be concerned about H1N1?
* What are the symptoms of H1N1?
* Who should be most concerned about H1N1?

• Myths & Facts: Straight talk about vaccinations, the flu and public health.

• H1N1 Flu Self-Evaluation: A tool to determine whether you might have the flu.

Both link to information provided at Flu.gov.

Watch tonight at 5:30 or 6 p.m.

Photo: http://twitpic.com/km4s6

The podcast features Eugene McMahon, MD, Chief Medical Officer for Southcoast Hospitals Group.

Episode #2:
* How can I avoid getting the flu?
* Why is handwashing important?

This Week's Developments:

This week, we received some very good news about the new H1N1 flu vaccine that is currently in production. According to the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), it seems likely that adults who receive the H1N1 vaccine when it's available next month will only need to get one shot. Previously, scientists were unclear if the new vaccine would require two shots, a month apart, in order to be effective. The new H1N1 vaccine is still being tested to see if children will need two shots in order to be protected.

The news that the H1N1 vaccine may only require one dose for adults is very encouraging, because it means that much more vaccine will be able to go around once it's available next month.

We continue to stress how important it is for folks who are considered at higher risk to get vaccinated as soon as the H1N1 vaccine is available. These groups include:

• Pregnant women

• Household contacts and caregivers of children under 6 months old

• Children and young adults 6 months to 24 years old

• People aged 25-64 years old who have certain underlying health conditions which put them at greater risk of medical complications if they get the flu

• Health care and emergency medical services personnel

Updates will come out regularly.